Podcasts about elecraft kx3

Foundations of Amateur Radio I've owned a Yaesu FT-857d radio since becoming an amateur and at the time I was absolutely blown away by how much radio fits inside the box. It's smaller than most of the commercial radios I'd seen when I bought it. I came across a video by Michael KB9VBR, the other day showcasing a wooden cigar box with a complete, well, almost complete POTA, or Parks On The Air, activation kit. I say almost, since Dave KZ9V, the owner of the kit, points out that the box doesn't contain an antenna. It made me wonder how small is small? According to RigPix, the lightest transmitter on an amateur band, in this case, the 5 GHz or 5cm band, is an Amateur TV transmitter. Weighing in at 3.9 grams. The Eachine TX-06 is capable of FM with about 18 MHz of bandwidth with an audio sub-carrier. Of course, that's not a transceiver, but I thought it worth mentioning in case you needed an excuse for something tiny in your shack, besides, as far as I can tell, there's never too much Amateur TV in the world. I've built a crystal radio on a breadboard which is tiny, but it doesn't transmit, so to set the stage, I think we need to limit ourselves to transceivers, that is, a device capable of both transmitting and receiving, on amateur bands. Before continuing I'd like to express my thanks to Janne SM0OFV, for the rigpix.com database that he's been maintaining, in notepad, since 2000. Without the invaluable information documented for the currently 7,512 radios, I'd be spending an awful lot of time hunting for information. Moving on, the FaradayRF board is a transceiver, capable of using 900 MHz or the 33cm band. It comes in at 30 grams, but without a computer it's a circuit board with potential. The PicoAPRS by Taner DB1NTO, is a 2m transceiver specifically for APRS, weighs in at 52 grams and similar in look and a third of the weight of an Ericsson T18 mobile phone. Speaking of mobile phones, the PicoAPRS does WiFi and Bluetooth, can pair with your phone and act as an AX.25 modem. I'll confess, I'm drooling. Moving right along, for 70cm there's a Rubicson Walk 'n' talk, weighs in at 65 grams. Mind you, the RigPix database puts this under the "License-free / PMR446" section which comes with a sage warning, check your local laws before transmitting. There's a few Alinco DJ-C models for different markets that operate on 2m or 70cm, weighing in at 75 grams. The ADALM Pluto weighs 114 grams, but you'll need a USB power supply of some sort to make it do anything. It can operate between 70 MHz and 6 GHz, but the user interface is limited to a single button and LED, so if you want to interact with it, you'll need some external technology. Moving on to HF transceivers, weighing in at 199 grams, without the bag, but all the options, is the Elecraft KH1. Transmits on 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m and 15m and receives between 6 and 22 MHz. It's CW only, but you can receive SSB. If CW isn't your thing, RTTY and PSK can be used on the 40m band with a Silent System Handy PSK 40. Presumably the Handy PSK 20 runs on 20m. Both weigh in at 250 grams. The Zettl P-20xx SSB does SSB, AM, FM and CW, transmits on 10m, 11m, 12m and 15m as well as the MARS frequencies and receives between 14 and 30 MHz, weighs 300 grams. Even comes with CTCSS. Another Elecraft model, the KX2 weighs in at 370 grams, does 80m to 10m and the WARC bands, does SSB, CW and data. Mind you, you'll also need to add the weight for the microphone and paddles, and factor in a computer if you want to do more than PSK and RTTY. The Expert Electronics SunSDR2 QRP does 160m to 10m, the WARC bands and 6m. Weighs in at 500 grams, has a network port and two independent receivers. Operates at 5 Watts. There's no user interface, unless you count the reset and power buttons, so I'm not sure if it can operate on any mode with just a microphone, but given the "Depending on software" disclaimers throughout, I'm going to guess you'll need to bring a computer to make it sing. The Risen RS-918SSB does all HF amateur bands between 160m and 10m, has a user interface and display, even a big tuning knob, has built-in FreeDV and does FM, SSB and CW. I'd hazard a guess that this is the lightest self-contained transceiver that you can take out on a POTA mission to a park. Weighs 623 grams and comes with an internal battery. The Elecraft KX3 also does 160m to 10m, and 6m, with a 2m option. Weighs in at 680 grams, but that doesn't include any options. And finally, we pass 1 kilogram and hit 1,100 grams and discover a radio that does all bands and modes, the Icom IC-705 with a battery, but no antenna. The Yaesu FT-817, FT-817dn and FT-818 weigh 70 grams more, but that weight includes both a battery and antenna. Of course there are other options. For example, there's the (tr)uSDX by Manuel DL2MAN, and Guido PE1NNZ, does 80m, 60m, 40m, 30m and 20m, CW, SSB, AM and FM. Comes in a kit, weighs 140 grams. It's not on RigPix, so I only know about it because it was mentioned by Dave KZ9V. Similarly, I bumped into, wait for it, a single transistor transceiver called the Pititico, in case you're wondering, Pitico means very small in Portuguese and Pititico means very very small. Designed by Miguel PY2OHH, it comes in various revisions, including one by Ciprian YO6DXE, also known as DX Explorer on YouTube, complete with a circuit board design, and with some modifications can do AM in addition to CW. It's also not in the RigPix database and I have no idea what it weighs. The point being that this rundown is intended as a starting point to explore how small you can really get and still activate the Park or Peak you intend to. While you're contemplating weight, remember to account for power, control, and most importantly an antenna or six. Again, big thank you to Janne SM0OFV, for the rigpix.com website. Also, thank you for the memories of the Spectravideo SV-318 and SV-328, the last time I bumped into one of those was in 1980-mumble when I was working in a computer shop on the Haarlemmerstraat in Leiden, Mr. Micro Zap, if you're curios. What lightweight adventures are you looking for next? I'm Onno VK6FLAB

Foundations of Amateur Radio If you've ever been in the market for a new radio, and truth be told, who isn't, you'll find yourself faced with a bewildering array of options varying from obvious to obscure and everything in between. At the obvious end of the scale are things like price, bands and transmit power and at the other end are things like Narrow Spaced Dynamic Range, which you'll find explained by Rob NC0B on his sherweng.com website where he's been publishing receiver test data for many decades. One of the more subtle options you'll need to consider are handheld, mobile or base radio. This is harder than you might think, since radios are increasing in functionality every time you wake up and if you look long enough, you'll discover that they're getting smaller at the same rate. Once upon a time you could just look at the size of a radio and define it as belonging in one or other category, but that's no longer a useful distinction. For example, my PlutoSDR is a tiny device, fits in my pocket, but there's no way I'd consider it a handheld, or even a mobile radio. You might think that a bigger box has more stuff inside, costs more and performs better. For example, the Drake R-4C receiver and companion T-4XC transmitter require external power and were once rated by the ARRL as very good. In reality the Drake R-4C performed terribly in a CW contest, incidentally, that was what caused Rob to start testing radios in 1976. That receiver and transmitter manage to cover 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m and 10m and together weigh in at 14.3 kg. They're considered a base radio. The Yaesu FT-817, runs on batteries, weighs in at just over a kilogram and can be carried with a shoulder strap. It comes as a single device and covers many more bands than the Drake transmitter and receiver do, it would be considered a mobile or even portable radio. Obviously it would be hard to jam a Drake into your car or strap it to your belt, but does that mean that you cannot use an FT-817 as the base radio in your shack? In case you're curious, the slightly beefier brother to the FT-817, the mobile FT-857d, is sitting on my desk as my current base radio. Has been for years. So why do manufacturers continue to make this distinction between handheld, mobile and base radio? One look at the nearest radio catalogue will tell you that it's not based on either performance or price, not even close. You can buy a handheld with more functionality for the same price as a mobile radio and that same is true when you compare a mobile radio to a base radio. Radios vary in price from $20 to $20,000. A cynical person would suggest that pricing is based around extracting the most money from your pocket, but a more charitable explanation might be that physical size dictates things like the number of buttons you can fit on a radio, how many connectors can be accessed before the radio flies off the desk from the weight of the coax hanging off the box, how big is the display and other such limitations. I'm not being glib when I use the word charitable, since much of modern transceiver design revolves around software which can pretty much fit in any box. Using external computers, neither buttons nor a display are needed, leaving external connectors, which if we're being really honest could all fit in a box that would fit in your pocket. At this point you might wonder if handheld, mobile or base has any meaning at all. As I said, in most cases it doesn't. There's really only one place left where this matters, and that's when you have access to strictly limited space and power if you need to put the radio in your pocket or cram it into your car. For your home shack, the distinction is unhelpful for most, if not all, amateurs. Don't believe me? The Yaesu FT-710 currently ranks fourth on Rob's Sherwood Engineering Receiver Test Data List. It's a quarter the size of the top radio and it's sold as a "Base/Portable Transceiver". Yaesu calls it "Compact". It might not fit in the dashboard of my car, but it will fit on the folding table we use during field days. That isn't an exception either. The Elecraft KX3 is the smallest radio on the first page of Rob's Receiver Test Data list. It fits in your pocket. Before you start collecting statistics for each radio, I should point out that the more you know about this hobby, the harder this process becomes, so be careful. That said, if you have a massive list of anything to choose from, a new amateur radio, pet food, car, what to have for dinner, whatever, here's a process that will guarantee a result. It works by eliminating one item at a time until you're left with your preference. To start, grab the first two items on your list and pick the best one between the two. Ignore everything else, just those two items. You're going to fret about the definition of "best", but don't worry, since every time you do this, you'll have a different idea. All you're doing is saying, all things being equal, between these two options, which one do I prefer. No need to describe why, just pick one. In picking one, you've removed one option from the list. Now, compare the winner to the next item on the list, again, ignore everything else and pick one and remove the other. Keep doing this until you run out of items. You'll end up with the single option that wins, for whatever reason, from the entire list. Now, about that radio. All I need is the next paid project. I'm Onno VK6FLAB

Icom IC-705, Elecraft KX3, Xiegu X5105 and Xiego G90 - some of their more obvious differences and comparisons - This is a high-level overview and not a deep-dive, but it is a starting point for some further videos I might record later.IC-705 - https://tinyurl.com/y3r7fkamKX3 - https://elecraft.com/products/kx3-all-mode-160-6-m-transceiverX5105 - https://www.radioddity.com/products/xiegu-x5105G90 - https://mfjenterprises.com/products/xg90?_pos=1&_sid=1373a7365&_ss=r

Icom IC-705, Elecraft KX3, Xiegu X5105 and Xiego G90 - some of their more obvious differences and comparisons - This is a high-level overview and not a deep-dive, but it is a starting point for some further videos I might record later.IC-705 - https://tinyurl.com/y3r7fkamKX3 - https://elecraft.com/products/kx3-all-mode-160-6-m-transceiverX5105 - https://www.radioddity.com/products/xiegu-x5105G90 - https://mfjenterprises.com/products/xg90?_pos=1&_sid=1373a7365&_ss=r

This week, George and Jeremy discuss their summer workbench projects.  George has been busy trying to build the ultimate portable Field Day setup around his Elecraft KX3 and Jeremy has been busy learning more about Software Defined Radios with Airspy devices and accessories. PowerFilm 30W Foldable Solar Panel Giveaway - http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/products/workbench Elecraft KX3 QRP Transceiver - http://www.elecraft.com/KX3/kx3.htm Elecraft PX3 Panadapter - http://www.elecraft.com/PX3/px3.htm Elecraft KXPA100 Amplifier - http://www.elecraft.com/KXPA100/kxpa100.htm Airspy Mini - https://v3.airspy.us/product/a-airspy-mini/ Airspy R2 - https://v3.airspy.us/product/a-airspy/ Airspy Spyverter - https://v3.airspy.us/product/a-spyverter/ SDR Sharp and SpyServer Downloads - http://airspy.com/download/ Powerfilm Solar 60W Foldable Panel - http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/products/?f163600_60w_foldable_solar_panel&show=product&productID=271511&productCategoryIDs=6578,6579 Buddipole PowerMini solar charge controller - http://www.buddipole.com/powermini.html  

Stuart Thomas, KB1HQS,  joined me back in February to chat about the NPOTA (National Parks on the Air) ARRL Event.  This time he's back to share with us an entire years worth of Portable Operation from NPOTA.  Hear Stuarts Lessons Learned, Funny Stories, Favorite Parks and more in this episode of Ham Radio 360. Additionally this event brought Stuart to the forefront of US Ham Portable Operations.  ARRL Calendar inserts, QST Reviews near viral tweets and more were just a taste of the fame the Tall One achieved this year! To learn more about the NPOTA event head over to the ARRL website.  Congratulations to everyone involved!  What an Amazing Event! .When you look around the net at the NPOTA activators photos, you may discover a very common theme: Elecraft KX3! Thanks Stuart for coming back on and for helping make NPOTA a success! 73 Y'all K4CDN KB1HQS in Print! Click for more info

  Lance Collister, W7GJ, has had a fascination with VHF,  six and two meters,  for over fifty years, when he had a Heathkit Twoer and a three element yagi. Now Lance travels to the far corners of the Earth with his Elecraft KX3 to bounce his six meter signal off of the moon. Lance tells us how he does it in his conversation with Eric, 4Z1UG, on QSO Today.

  Stan, WB2LQF, does more with less in his 50 year ham radio journey starting with a single tube transmitter loaded in to his bed springs to the Elecraft KX3 and an attic antenna.  Always a CW operator, ham radio played a major role in Stan’s professional and personal life.  Stan joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.